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THE VAN DER VEER FAMILY 
IN THE NETHERLANDS 


This edition, on fine paper, is limited to 12$ copies 
This is No. 2.#... 









Present Lady Van der Veere. 

Queen Wilhelmina and the Princess Juliana. 





/ 


The VAN DER VEER 

FAMILY in the Netherlands 

1150 to 1660 and 1280 to 1780 


/ 

By LOUIS P. De BOER, A.M., L.L.B. 



Published by CHARLES ANDREW DITMAS 
PUBLISHER —350 Fulton Street, BROOKLYN, N. Y. 




















V3 



Copyrighted, 1913 

By Charles A. Ditmas 




BROOKLYN EAGLE PRESS 
BROOKLYN - NEW YORK 


'& Cl, A S 61 2 4 6 ' J 



ILLUSTRATIONS 


Present Lady Van der Veer.Frontispiece 

The First Zeeland Nobleman. . .Opposite page 4 

Dutch Chart . “ “ 10 

Map of Zeeland. “ “ 12 

Castle Sandenburg . “ “ 14 

The City of Veere. “ “ 28 

The Town Hall of Veere. " “46 

Castle Scaghen. “ “ 52 

Castle Scaghen at the Present 
Time . “ “ 56 

Scaghen To-day. “ “ 58 

Arms of the Van der Veer and 

Van Scaghen Families. “ “ 60 















CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction . 1 

The Van Borsselen Family. 3 

The Van der Veer Family. 10 

Appendix 1. 60 

Appendix II. 61 



























The Van der Veer Family 
in the Netherlands 

From 1160 to 1660 (XVIII Generations) 


INTRODUCTION 

T HE writing of the history of a family 
is commonly begun there, where 
THROUGH THE ACQUISI¬ 
TION OF A SPECIAL NAME, from 
family-branch IT BECOMES A SEPA¬ 
RATE and well distinguished CONSAN¬ 
GUINITY. Although from the most gen¬ 
eral point of view it still remains a branch, 
we consider ourselves to stand at the root of 
the separately planted family-tree, when we 
have reached the origin of THE NAME. 
Instead of calling the parts, branches of one 
stem, we prefer to speak about the unit as a 
family-group or a house. 

In Europe the splitting up of houses into 
families has taken place at large in the Mid- 
[ 1 ] 


[ 2 ] 




The Van der Veer Family 


dle-ages when the population rapidly in¬ 
creased. Like a bee-hive, the ancestrial 
grounds soon became too small and young 
and energetic swarms had to find new fields. 
In the Netherlands for instance the Van Cats 
took their direct origin from the Van Welles; 
the Van Voorsts were originally Van Heeck- 
erens and these were a branch of the Van der 
Eses. 

The Van der Veer family likewise started 
as a branch of the Van Borsselen family. 
The name was in the beginning merely a title 
added to the Van Borsselen name on ground 
of property of the name. 

The Van Borsselen name itself can even 
be traced to the time that it was a title and 
that its bearers had only first names, given 
to them still more or less according to the 
conventional and distinctive rules of the old 
Teutonic name system. This heraldic name 
system is still kept rather pure among the 
Seelanders and to a certain extent among the 
other Scandinavians and the Frisians. In Hol¬ 
land and the Southern-Netherlands the her¬ 
aldic name system left very little traces after 
the crusades; heraldic titles derived from 
[ 2 ] 



In the Netherlands 


properties and armorials had taken the place 
of heraldic names derived from qualities and 
characteristics. The heraldic names long 
preserved in the Van Borsselen family and its 
branches were: Wolfert, Frank and Hen¬ 
drick. Of these Wolfert had been in the 
family longest of all and showed the most 
persistence in newer times. It even showed 
itself in the armorial bearings, which have 
been handed down in the Van der Veer line. 
Frank, became the exclusive favorite name 
of the Van Borsselens Van Cortgene; Hen¬ 
drick, that of the Van Borsselens Van der 
Veer. 


THE VAN BORSSELEN FAMILY 
(Before the Van der Veer’s branched off) 

Although there are some earlier traditions 
the earliest facts climb up to the year 1160. 

I. Floris, VUIth Lord of Borssele, a 
place on the Island of South-Beveland in 
Seeland, received in 1161 from Floris III, 
Count of Holland and Seeland, “his cousin,” 
[ 3 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


the exclusive right to reclaim some lands off 
the South-East coast of the Island of North- 
Beveland. He and his two sons: Wolfert 
and Baldewin helped him to carry out the 
work. After their father’s death in 1203 
they continued it. 

Floris VIII, of Borssele, also had a daugh¬ 
ter Agnes, whose husband died in 1214 in 
battle against the Frisians near Alkmaar. 

See: “Seewsche Chroniken” (“Seeland 
Chronicles”) by Reigersberch, Boxthorn, and 
Smallegange. 

Also: Joh. Kok. “Vaderlandsch Woorden- 
boek” XXIX p. 163-177. 

And: David Van Hoogstraten: “Groot 
Woordenboek.” B. p. 46. 

II. Wolfert, IXth Lord of Borssele, suc¬ 
ceeded his father in 1203. He married a lady 
Van der Goude, and obtained much property 
in Holland near Gouda and Schoonhoven. 

They had five children. 

Frank, Wolfert, Floris, Pieter and Sophia. 

1. Frank follows below as Xth Lord Van 
Borsselen. 




From an old print, redrawn bv Mr. De Boer 
The First Seeland Nobleman. 






















































































































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h j tmimx m 







In the Netherlands 


2. Wolfert became Lord of Baersdorp 

on the Island of South-Beveland 
and founder of the Van Baersdorp 
family. 

He died young in 1223 leaving three 

little sons. The Van Baersdorp family 

died out in 1565. 

3. Floris was still alive in 1255. 

4. Pieter was still alive in 1263. 

5. Sophia, inherited her maternal prop¬ 

erty near Gouda and Schoonhoven. 
She married, but dying childless, she 
bequested her land property to her 
brothers. 

See: “Chronicles” and also: Joh. Kok: 

Tabel 1, col. 2. 

Generation: 

III. Frank, Xth Lord Van Borsselen was 
alive in 1258. He received as a favor from 
William II, Count of Holland and Seeland 
and “King of the Romans,” the lordly manor 
of Monster (Monasterium) in South Hol¬ 
land. 



The Van der Veer Family 


Three children are mentioned: 

1. Wolfert, follows below as XI Lord 

Van Borsselen. 

2. Frank, who became the father of Wol¬ 

fert, 1st Lord Van der Veer. (See 
under IV.) 

3. Hadewich, a daughter, who married. 
(See Hillebrand Van Wouw: Chronike 

Van Holland, and also La Rue: “Geletterd 
Seeland.”) 

Generation. 

IVa. Wolfert, Xlth Lord Van Borsselen, 
was born in 1216, and did not succeed his 
father before he was over forty years old. 
After Count Willem II in 1256 had per¬ 
ished in his warfare against the Frisians by 
SchagenandHoogwoud, near Alkmaar. Wol¬ 
fert became guardian of the minor Count 
Floris V. On account of this guardianship 
he spent most of his time in Holland in his 
house at Delft or at Gouda and Schoonhoven. 
He married an English lady Anna de Boste- 
que and had the following children: 

Floris, Thomas and Margaretha. 

[ 6 ] 



In the Netherlands 


Although the attitude of Count Floris V 
toward Seeland, after he had become ruler 
himself, did not please Wolfert, he never 
broke the friendship. After Floris V had 
been murdered in 1296 Wolfert XI Lord 
Van Borsselen, became guardian over his 
minor son Jan I. 

During this guardianship, Wolfert, who 
was now very old, resided for the second 
time as regent of Holland and Seeland at 
his house at Delft. Contrary to the politics 
of the late Count, Wolfert, like most of the 
Seeland nobles favored a commercial alli¬ 
ance and a free trade union between Holland, 
Flandres and England. The Hollanders, 
who wanted protection for their growing 
commerce and their developing industry of 
woolweaving, rose against him, murdered the 
old man in his bed during the night and set 
fire to the beautiful house. 

Wolfert’s oldest son, Floris, was among 
the conspirators. He had tried to make him¬ 
self popular, hoping thus to become Count 
of Holland himself. This happened in 1298. 
In 1299 the weak and sickly heir of the an¬ 
cient native Count of Holland died and the 
[ 7 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


punishment of Floris Van Borsele was left 
to the first succeeding Count of the new house, 
Jan of Henault, who had been guardian over 
Jan of Holland since Wolfert’s death in 
1298. 

See: Chronicles of Holland and Seeland. 
More especially: David Van Hoogstraten. 
Groot Woordenboek. VIII. p.868. Also: 
P. J. Blok: “Geschiedenis Van Het Neder- 
landsche Volk” I. p. 200.) 

Floris Van Borsselen considered himself 
as Xllth Lord Van Borsselen, but being one 
of the conspirators in the case of his father’s 
murder, he was not acknowledged as such by 
the family. His second and only brother, 
Thomas, took his place. 

Generation: 

Va. Thomas Van Borssele was the XII and 
last Lord of Borssele. Jan of Henault, who 
had married a sister of Floris V, Count of 
Holland, had succeeded in Holland and See¬ 
land after the death of his nephew, Jan of 
Holland. His feud with Flandres was in¬ 
creased by his new acquisitions. As asso- 
[ 8 ] 



In the Netherlands 


ciate of King Philip of France he had at¬ 
tacked the Flemish from the land side as his 
second son William had done from the sea¬ 
side near Seeland. The Flemish defeated 
their enemies in the glorious “Battle of the 
Spurs” near Courtray in 1303 and victori¬ 
ously entered Seeland, the country of their 
friends, so as to drive the Hollanders out. 

At first William of Henault was beaten, 
but in 1304 the new Count of Holland and 
his sons drove the Flemings out of Seeland. 
(See P. J. Blok: History of the Netherland 
people. Dutch Edition I, pp. 204-6.) 

In 1305 Thomas Van Borsselen, chief of 
a family, who had always been in favor of 
a Flemish-English alliance and son of an 
English mother, was deprived from his 
father’s inheritage at Borssele by Jan of 
Henault, Count of Holland and Seeland, 
favorite of France. 

(See Joh. Kok. Vaderlandsch Woorden- 
boek.) 

Borssele was confiscated and from St. 
Martinsday 1305 to 1417 it had been under 
the direct jurisdiction of the province of See¬ 
land and her sovereigns. The name Bors- 

[ 9 ] 


4 



The Van der Veer Family 


sele is an assimilated form of Borg-sele and 
corresponds in Seeland Flemish with the 
modern Dutch words Burg-Zyl of “Castle- 
Sluice.” 


THE VAN DER VEER FAMILY 

In consideration of the above stated prin¬ 
ciples of genealogical system and writing of 
family history, we may count ourselves for¬ 
tunate in the case of the Van der Veer 
family. The Charter by which the title to 
the land round Veere and therewith the 
name Van der Veer was established, has come 
down to us. 

Generation: 

IV. Frank Van Borsselen, second son of 
Frank, the Xth Lord Van Borsselen, married 
Maria Van Egmond, daughter of Willem 
Van Egmond and Ada. Their children 
were: 

1. Wolfert, who became the 1st Lord 
Van der Veer. 

[ 10 ] 




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In the Netherlands 


2. Frank, 3 Hendrick (who became a 
priest); 4 Jan, who died in the battle 
in 1299 and Hadewich, the only 
daughter. 

(See: Hendrick Van Wyn’s article of 
1794 published in “de Werken Van Het 
Zeeuwsch Genootschap Van Wetenschappen” 
1837.) 

V. Wolfert Van Borsselen, like his father, 
occupied himself with the reclaiming of land 
off the North East Coast of Walcheren, right 
opposite the other banks of the Easterscheld, 
where on the Island of North-Beveland his 
ancestors had reclaimed land before since 
1161. 

He was bom about 1245 and grew up with 
the work of his father as a continual example 
before him. When he began to take an ac¬ 
tive part in it is not certain, but about the 
year 1275 he was very busy. In 1280 most 
of the available new lands off that coast had 
been diked in. 

On the presently rediscovered old Roman 
maps of this ultimate section of the Empire, 
the Seeland Islands appear yet as a more or 
[ 11 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


less connected portion of the continent, 
formed by the mud of a number of small 
rivers behind a growing ridge of sandbanks 
thrown up by the North Sea. 

The sandbanks then already had become 
low hills or sand-dunes, where scrubbery 
grew and numerous sea birds bred. The 
mud-plates had become meadows, where the 
Romans, in summer, found the Suavi or 
Swabians with their cattle. They were a 
Germanic tribe, who used to swarve over 
the country; in winter they sheltered in woods 
and behind mountains and in summer they 
spend about five months by the seaside. Most 
of them settled later for good in the present 
German province Swabia, but many remained 
and as inhabitants of Seeland are known un¬ 
der the name Sweven or Seeuwen. The Van 
Borsselen’s tradition was that their ultimate 
ancestor was one of the leaders of the 
Sweven or Swabians. 

Since the Northern branch of the Rhine- 
mouth in Friesland had been laid shallow and 
finally been stopped up by the formation of 
the Zuyder sea, the combined throng of 
Ocean and river water had become too much 
[ 12 ] 




Map of Seeland, Showing Veere and Other Family Seats and Cities Mentioned in This Work. 

Drawn by Mr. De Boer. 



























In the Netherlands 


for the spongy new land and in the early 
middle ages before inhabitants had found 
out how to make dikes, large parts were 
washed away, or flooded and compressed 
below the water surface. 

Only the sand-dunes and the more solid 
parts, to which the vegetation had given some 
substance, had remained. 

The place, “Portum Romanum” or Roman 
port, had disappeared and the harbor there 
had widened into a broad inlet at present 
called “Roompot.” This name means in 
modern Dutch “cream pot,” but is in fact 
a corruption of “Roman-port.” Also 
the flat stretch of meadow land sit¬ 
uated near there, and called “Campum” 
because the Roman legions used to sail 
from there to Great Britain, had been 
washed away. The banks there, in Wol- 
fert’s times called “de Campen” had risen 
so far above the sea that sheep could feed 
there on the grass, except once or twice at 
high-spring-tide or in winter. Wolfert re¬ 
claimed these plots of lands for good by con¬ 
necting them and surrounding them with 
strong dikes of clay mixed with sand. This 
[ 13 ] 



Tne Van der Veer Family 


work now was for this section at least com¬ 
pleted in 1280. On one of the dikes, the 
“Sand-dike” Wolfert built in 1281 the castle 
of Sandenburg. He also built a “Veer” or 
“Ferry” and a ferry-house to cross from 
there the Easter Scheld and to connect there¬ 
by Walcheren with North-Beveland and his 
ancestrial reclaimed lands there. This ferry 
he called the “Camper-Veer” or “Ferry of 
Campum” and soon it became known as “de 
Veer” or “Veere.” 

Whereas the Supreme government had the 
highest authority over newly reclaimed lands, 
Wolfert Van Borsselen duly notified his sov¬ 
ereign and kindsman, Floris V., of Holland, 
who was the first Holland Court, whose su- 
premety over Seeland was not disputed by 
the Count of Flandres. 

On All-Saints day, 12 November, 1282, 
Count Floris V. thereupon issued a Charter 
by which Wolfert Van Borssele and his wife, 
Sibilla, received as a perpetual and heredi¬ 
tary feudality, the new-won land, with all 
that was built thereon including the Castle 
and the Ferry, all of which had been galantly 
dedicated to Beatrix, wife of Count Floris. 

[ 14 ] 






Castle Sandenburg. 
















In the Netherlands 


(See: Frans Van Mieris: Charterboek 
Van Holland X Seeland.” Vol. I, p. 428.) 
The original document was still existent on 
St. Boniface Day 1364, when Jan of Blois, 
Lord of Gouda and Schoonhoven had a copy 
made of it. 

From that time on Wolfert had the title 
of Lord Van der Veer, Sandenburg and Sand- 
dike. The title of Cleverskercke most prob¬ 
ably came to him on ground of matrimonial 
property. Receiving the sovereignty over 
the reclaimed lands, Count Floris naturally 
bound himself to contribute to the extent of 
the need of the welfare of the whole Island, 
and the province, to the cost of maintaining 
and annual fortification of dikes, ferry and 
harbor. The Count neglected this year after 
year although his realm had much profit of 
the new conveniency. Once in 1290 the first 
Lord Van der Veer invited him kindly to be 
his guest at Sandenburg and dine with him. 
About 1295 Veere had developed into a vil¬ 
lage or small settlement of men who had 
joined their interests with those of the Lord 
Van der Veer and placed themselves with 

[ 15 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


their families and goods under his authority 
and jurisdiction. 

These men and the Lord himself owned 
then already a number of ships. Some of 
them, though small, ventured to cross from 
here to England as the Romans had done be¬ 
fore them, when England was still Britain. 
The commercial success soon made the own¬ 
ers build larger and more appropriate vessels. 
The weaveries of Flandres were known in 
those days and needed more wool than their 
sheep produced and their meadows could not 
feed more sheep than they did. Commerce 
over land was long and dear and risky, be¬ 
sides Holland and France, the enemies and 
neighbors of Flandres, would not furnish 
them wool at any price. The English and 
Scotch wool was very much desired and Flem¬ 
ish weavers had not yet crossed to develop 
the present industry there. Even thirty years 
later there were few persons of whom could 
be said, what Geoffrey Chaucer said of “The 
good wife of Bath”: “Cloth weaving she 
did so well understand, almost as those of 
Flandres and of Ghent.” Veere began to 
become a wool importing place of influence 
[ 16 ] 



In the Netherlands 


and the 1st Lord Van der Veer was already 
a wealthy man twenty years after his suc¬ 
cess in land reclaiming. He had made the 
boundary between sea and land sharper. 
Where was mud before, on which no foot 
would stand and no wood float, hoisted now 
stately deep sea vessels, their sails under the 
walls of a firm and strong based castle. 

The unlimited free trade of the Seeland- 
ers did not please the Count of Holland. 
Floris V wanted to see strong cities and a 
well-faring population in his immediate neigh¬ 
borhood. As much as he could he promoted 
commerce and industry of Haarlem, Ley¬ 
den and Delft. Where they were in the nat¬ 
ural disadvantage he created artificial ad¬ 
vantages. Floris protected the wool trade 
and weaveries of these cities by a high tariff 
on wool in all his lands. For the Lord Van 
der Veer this was almost prohibition of his 
English-Flemish wool-trade. 

The Count had made himself thus at once 
two more mighty enemies, namely Wolfert 
I Van der Veer and Henry VII of England. 
In Holland itself were many mighty nobles 
infuriated against the Count for less noble 
[ 17 ] 


[31 



The Van der Veer Family 


reasons. He namely had made an end to 
their highway robberies and piratical enter¬ 
prises. Combined with these men Wolfert 
Van der Veer ploted in 1296 to take the 
Count prisoner and ship him to England, 
where Henry would bring him to terms in 
the wool import matter. 

The Holland nobles, however, had a much 
deeper hate against the Count. The same 
year they captured him suddenly while hunt¬ 
ing and much to the regret of Wolfert Van 
der Veer they murdered him cruelly at the 
spot. 

Wolfert Van der Veer lived long enough 
to see the old countal house of Holland die 
out in 1299 with Jan, only son of Floris, and 
to see the house of Henault as rulers of Hol¬ 
land. 

When the Counts of Holland had not pro¬ 
moted the commerce of Seeland, he had ad¬ 
vocated a broad commercial union between 
England, Flanders and Holland. It was a 
season of great joy to him to see the Flemish 
arms defeat the French Knights of Adven¬ 
ture in 1303 and to receive their triumphant 
fleet in his harbor at Veere in the same year. 

[ 18 ] 



In the Netherlands 


Here was a prophecy of the great days that 
were to come for his foundation and his 
posterity. 

Without a blot on his character or a stain 
of blood on his hand, even in those sharp 
times, the man who devoted a lifetime to the 
welfare and progress of his family, his prov¬ 
ince and finally to those of two great coun¬ 
tries, died in the end of the year 1303. Com¬ 
pared with that what was to come his work 
was only a foundation yet, but a solid and 
a sound foundation. 

Wolfert, 1st Lord Van der Veer, had mar¬ 
ried Sibilla (lady of Cleverskercke). They 
had eight children; five sons and three daugh¬ 
ters: 

Wolfert, the lid Lord Van der Veer 
who follows. 

Floris, Claes, Frank, Hendrick, Hade- 
wich, Sibilla, Margaretha. 

The daughters all married. Sibilla died 
high-aged, last of all in 1352. 

After the death of Sibilla Van Cleversk¬ 
ercke, Wolfert, 1st Lord Van der Veer, had 
married Catharina de Durbuy, widow of 
[ 19 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


Albert Van Voorne. She owned the Castle 
of Teylingen in Holland and in the pleasant 
surroundings Wolfert spent sometimes a few 
restful days. In this same casde Wolfert’s 
great grandson, Frank Van Borsselen, would 
once, more than a century afterward cheer 
the last days of the most unfortunate yet 
most heroic countess of Holland, Jacoba, who 
died there in 1436. 

With the sons of Wolfert, 1st Lord Van 
der Veer, the family began to split up into 
branches again as their Van Borsselen ances¬ 
tors had done before them. 

The oldest son continued the Van der Veer 
line. 

The 2nd son, Floris Van Borsselen Van 
der Veer, married, but died childless. 

The 3rd son, Claes Van Borsselen Van der 
Veer, became Lord of Brigdamme and 
founder of the family Van Brigdamme, 
which died out in 1521 at Gouda with Jacob 
Van Brigdam. But the line of Raes, 4th son 
of the aforesaid Claes, having returned to 
their old home at Veere continued as the Van 
Borsselen Van Sanddyck. 

A great grandson of Raes Van Sanddyck, 

[ 20 ] 



In the Netherlands 


Adriaen, became through marriage, Lord 
Van der Hooghe. 

His descendants have become the chief and 
subsequently the only existing direct legiti¬ 
mate branch of the Van Borsselen Van der 
Veer family. 

The name at present is fixed at Van Bors¬ 
selen Van der Hooghe. 

The 4th son, Frank Van Borsselen Van 
der Veer, became the founder of the family 
Van Cortgene, which seems to have no traces 
in history beyond the 16th century. 

VI. Wolfert, lid Lord Van der Veer, 
was born about 1270. He succeeded his 
father in all his titles and most of his prop¬ 
erty in 1303. Under the disturbed condi¬ 
tions in Holland and Flandres the Seeland 
nobles had deemed it necessary to select a 
leader. Wolfert Van der Veer was made 
“First Nobleman of Seeland,” a title which 
was hereditary upon his oldest son and which 
was conferred to the later Lord of Veere 
also after the old reigning line had come to 
an end. 

It implied the presidency at the assemblies 
[ 21 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


of the Seeland nobles, a decisive vote in 
dubious questions, and the right to be pleni¬ 
potentiary of Seeland at all conferences 
abroad where Seeland interests were pending. 

In 1304 the Flemish supremacy so wel¬ 
come to Seeland, was again and this time for 
good brought to an end by the Count of Hol¬ 
land, and Holland and Seeland were from 
that time on united under one sovereign head. 
William III, who succeeded there in 1304, 
was the most popular Count Holland ever 
had. Regular taxations did not exist then, 
but whenever the Prince was in need of money 
for his private, as well as his public affairs, he 
used to appeal to the local representatives in 
the cities and to the Assembly of nobles. 

William III gave so many commercial 
privileges to the different cities that they, at 
certain occasions, when he called for money, 
gave him ten times more than he asked. This 
made him also very popular at Veere. 

Wolfert lid died before 1317. 

He had been married with Aleida of Hen- 
ault, a sister of the Count of Holland, Wil¬ 
liam III. 



In the Netherlands 


Their children were, Wolfert, who became 
Hid Lord Van der Veer; Sibilla and Claes. 

His widow remarried with Otto Van 
Buren, as whose widow she died at high age 
in 1351. 

VII. Wolfert, Hid Lord Van der Veer, 
succeeded after his father’s death in 1317 
at the age of twenty-one. He, therefore, 
must have been born in 1295. For twenty 
years he ruled Veere and surroundings under 
the prosperous reign of his sovereign Will¬ 
iam III of Holland. The ship building at 
Veere was extended. Not only for own use 
but for many surrounding places ships were 
made and a considerable number of trading 
vessels came there for their regular annual 
repairs. The wool trade between England 
and Flandres was greatly carried on by Wol¬ 
fert III and his men, many of whom had be¬ 
come wealthy themselves. When in 1337 
William III, the full first cousin of Wolfert 
III died, the prosperity lasted under the 
reign of his son, William IV, or rather of 
his council. The young count disliked the 
peace of his father’s days and looked for 

[ 23 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


war and trouble everywhere. In 1345 he 
crossed with a few ships and the best of the 
knighthood of Holland and Seeland the 
Zuyder See. He wanted to subdue the Fri¬ 
sians, who had no Lord, but a republic of 
the so-called “Seven Free Frisian Sealands.” 
The count’s army was completely defeated 
and he himself was slain. He died childless 
and this was the cause which ended the years 
of prosperity. 

Willem IV left two sisters: Margaretha, 
the oldest, who was married with Lodewick 
of Bavaria, Emperor of the German Empire, 
and Philippa, the youngest, whose husband 
was Edward III, king of England. Mar¬ 
garetha succeeded as countess of Holland 
and Seeland and placed her 2nd son, Willem 
of Bavaria, there as her lieutenant. He was 
only seventeen years old, but so ambitious 
that he refused to give governmental account 
to his sovereign mother. The two old par¬ 
ties in Holland, the nobility that wanted to 
live from revenues and the nobility that in 
combination with the rising cities developed 
commerce and industry, had been dormant 
and now woke up again. Dependency of a 
[ 24 ] 



In the Netherlands 


count from the empress meant more or less 
dependency from the Empire. The Com¬ 
mercial nobility and the cities were bitterly 
against it; the “fait rien” nobility wanted a 
weak and dependent local government under 
which they could carry out their robberies 
and piratical enterprises. Wolfert III, in 
his quality of “First Noble of Seeland,” had 
in the first place to be loyal to the legal sov¬ 
ereign, who was Margaretha. But Mar- 
garetha had already at several previous oc¬ 
casions shown her hate for the peaceful and 
commercial party and favored that of the 
Knights of Adventure to which the Van Bors- 
selen family as a whole, and the commercial 
and industrial Van der Veer branch espe¬ 
cially, was sharply opposed. Willem, her son, 
promised the comernrcial party to promote 
the economical welfare of the country if he 
was made independent Count of Holland and 
Seeland. Willem, of Bavaria, seeing the im¬ 
portance of the aid of a man like Wolfert 
III Van der Veer, whose principles he knew, 
tried with promises suitable to these prin¬ 
ciples to gain his friendship and therewith 
the authority over whole Seeland. By letter 
[ 25 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


of the 14th of January, 1350, he confirmed 
Wolfert in all his ancestrial possessions, in 
case he, Willem, would become sovereign 
count, thus securing him the same rights in 
which he had already been confirmed by 
Countess Margaretha (see: Van Mieris: 
Charterboek Van Holland X Seeland, vol. 
II, p. 766). 

But by letter of the 18th of January, 1350, 
Wolfert and his two uncles still living Claes 
and Floris Van Borssele Van der Veer as 
only chief representatives of their house and 
of the nobility of Seeland swore anew loyalty 
to Countess Margaretha (see Van Mieris, 
vol. II, p. 767). If she, instead of 
the side of the knights of adventure, 
would take that of the commercial no¬ 
bility and cities, why should they for¬ 
swear their legal sovereign? In Seeland 
were since 1342 no more knights of adven¬ 
ture. The last quarrels had ended there by 
the settlement of July 23, 1342, by Count 
Willem IV. At the same date he had nomi¬ 
nated a committee which should settle the 
smaller quarrels which had still remained. 
This committee, formed by three noblemen: 

[ 26 ] 



In the Netherlands 


Claes Cervinck, Bolaerd Bolaerds and Wol- 
fert, Illd Lord Van der Veer, was presided 
by the last named. (See Van Mieris, vol. 
II, pp. 659-61.) The discord among the 
nobles of Seeland had subsequently entirely 
disappeared in 1350 when the parasitic 
knights of the Teutonic order left Veere and 
Sanddyk. 

These knights had been invited by Wol- 
fert, 1st Lord, to colonize his new lands in 
1280 and since they had remained these mar¬ 
ried there and taught their children the tra¬ 
ditions of an idle and parasitic life. The 
commercial and industrial nobility of See¬ 
land therefore stood for the first time as one 
man when in 1350 they renewed the oath to 
Countess Margaretha of Holland. The po¬ 
litical state of affars the next following year 
was laid before a conference of Holland and 
Seeland nobles and city representatives at 
Dordrecht (Mar., 1351) at which also Mar¬ 
garetha and her pretending son were pres¬ 
ent. Wolfert Van der Veer represented the 
Seeland nobility. There it became so evi¬ 
dent that Countess Margaretha had decided 
to restore in Holland and Seeland the power 
[ 27 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


of the knights of adventure, that those who 
took the economic welfare of the country at 
heart immediately decided to abandon her 
and to proclaim her son as Willem V Count 
of Holland and Seeland. Wolfert Van der 
Veer, then giving up all hope upon the public 
spirit of Countess Margaretha openly for¬ 
swore her and hailed Willem as sovereign. 
The whole nobility and population of See¬ 
land applauded his firm action. Marga¬ 
retha tried to force her country to subduc- 
tion with the help of her brother-in-law, Ed¬ 
ward III, of England. Much against his 
former politics and against the commercial 
interests of England he broke then the peace 
with Seeland and in April, 1351, he sent out 
a war fleet against his nephew Willem V 
of Holland. With the Illd Lord Van der 
Veer’s help Willem in the meantime had 
formed at Veere a small naval power. 

A battle between the two forces took place 
by the harbor of Veere in May, 1351. Count 
Willem’s forces were thoroughly beaten and 
Wolfert, Hid Lord Van der Veere, died a 
most glorious death in the defence of his 
country against the British invader. (See 
[ 28 ] 




The City of Veere, Birthplace of the Common Ancestors of the Vanderveer Family in America. 

From an old print. 






















In the Netherlands 


P. J. Blok: Gesch. Van het Nederl. Volk 
II., pp. 83, 84. Also Hendrick Van Wyn’s 
article in Werken Van het Zeeuwsch Gen. 
1837.) The wounded lion of Seeland took 
revenge of the death of the “First Noble” 
and in July, 1351, Willem’s victorious fleet 
drove the last Englishman to sea. 

Beside the commerce and industry Wolfert 
III had promoted art and architecture. A 
new beautiful parochial Church was finished 
under his auspices at Veere in 1348. (See 
David Van Hoogshaten. Groot Woorden- 
boek.) 

Wolfert Hid Van der Veer, had married 
Lady Hadewwich, both Van der Eem. (See: 
Van Wyn.) 

Their only two children were: 

Wolfert, who became IVth Lord Van 
der Veer and Aleyt, who married Jan 
Van Heenvliet, Lord of Blydenstein. 
She died in 1364. (See J. Kok. Tab. 
I. Col. 4) leaving children Jan, Elis¬ 
abeth and Sweris, who married in 
1389. There were heirs of Heen¬ 
vliet. (See Note 4.) 

[ 29 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


Generation: 

VIII. Wolfert, IVth Lord Van der Veer, 
born about 1320, succeeded his father in 
1351 and shortly thereafter when the Willem 
V became victorious, peace was restored in 
Holland and Seeland. Wolfert IV imme¬ 
diately took up the works of peace and the 
progress of Veere at the point where his 
father had been forced to leave it. With 
the help of his father’s new built watermills, 
he continued to make some more conquest 
on the sea, as his remote ancestry had done 
already two hundred years before him. (See: 
Van Mieris. Charterboek II, p. 766. Also: 
Het Recht Van Zyne Hoogheid op Veere. 
edit 1745, p. 90.) 

The new land he called “de Polder” or 
“The dried-up pool” and to his titles was 
added that of Lord Van de Polder. (See: 
Joh. Kok. Tab. I. col. s.) 

He also largely improved the streets of 
Veere and had wooden houses replaced by 
stone structures so as to diminish the danger 
of fires. Since 1350 he had seen the necessity 
of the fortification of his city. 

A strong wall, with towers and bulwarks 
[ 30 ] 



In the Netherlands 


was built round Veere and finished in 1370. 
In 1357 Count Willem V had become in¬ 
sane as always was and still is a hereditary 
evil in the Royal House of Bavaria. 

His youngest brother, Albrecht, of Ba¬ 
varia, succeeded him. He was 21 years old 
when in 1358 he arrived in Holland. Under 
his reign peace and prosperity again in these 
lands since the industrial population was left 
undisturbed. Count Albrecht died in 1404. 

Wolfert, IVth Lord Van der Veer, had 
married Lady Margaretha Van Arnemuy- 
den. From this marriage one son was born 
in 1345. Hendrick, who as Vth Lord Van 
der Veer, became his father’s successor. 

Generation: 

IX. Hendrick, Vth Lord Van der Veer, 
born in 1345, succeeded his father in 1383. 
He made a special effort to direct also other 
trades than the English wool trade toward 
Veere and he also succeeded in extending the 
wool trade. Almost twenty-five years he 
governed the city and literature began to 
flourish there. His citizens spent most of 
the summertime at sea and in strange coun- 

[ 31 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


tries. In wintertime they stayed at home 
and the long winter evenings were used in 
story-telling and making of poetry. 

Three “Camers Van Rethoryken” were es¬ 
tablished at Veere: “de Witte Lely” (the 
White Lily); “de Blaue Accolyn” (“The 
Blue Mistical Flower”) and “In Reyner 
Jonste Groeyende” (“Growing in Pure 
Friendship”). 

Hendrick Van der Veer married Catha- 
rina Van Ellewoutsdyck, who died after the 
birth of his only son, Wolfert. He married 
for the second time with Margaretha Van 
Nyenrode, who became the mother of two 
daughters, Catharina and Aleida, Catharina 
Van der Veer married Allard de Pougues, 
a French nobleman. Aleida married a See- 
lander, Arent, Lord Van Cruyningen. Hen¬ 
drick, Vth Lord Van der Veer, died in the 
year 1406 after a peaceful and well bestowed 
life. 

Generation: 

X. Wolfert, Vlth Lord Van der Veer, 
born in 1372, succeeded his father in 1406. 
He had to face political difficulties from the 

[ 32 ] 



In the Netherlands 


beginning. Count Albrecht had died in De¬ 
cember, 1404. His son, who had succeeded 
him as Willem VI, contrary to his father, 
favored the always dissatisfied party of the 
Knights of Adventure or “Hooks” as they 
were called against the welfaring cities and 
commercial nobility, who went by the name 
the “Cods” or “Codfishes.” The name Cod 
was given to the followers of Willem V and 
Albrecht already from their blue and silver 
checked uniforms, which resembled the scales 
of fishes. These gave to the knights of Ad¬ 
venture the name of Hooks because they 
were always hooking and angling for some 
unearned increases or profits derived from 
the welfaring industrial population. Wol- 
fert VI was like his fathers and the thor¬ 
oughly honest Seeland nobility a “Cod.” The 
new Count had to be a “Hook,” for he had 
only one daughter, who he wished to suc¬ 
ceed him in Holland and Seeland. She, of 
course, had to be “Hook” as all female rul¬ 
ers of those days were. If they were not 
the increasing commercial poulation would 
by the least resistance have proclaimed the 
republic. Now by professing “Hook” prin- 
[ 33 ] 


[ 4 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


ciples she secured for herself at least the 
assistance of the Knights of Adventure. Wil¬ 
lem VI, a weak man, who felt that he would 
not live long, secured in advance this help 
for his daughter by professing “Hook” prin¬ 
ciples immediately after his succession in 
1405. 

The leader of the commercial party in 
Holland was at that time Lord Jan Van 
Arkel, like Wolfert VI, was the leader of 
whole Seeland. Jan Van Arkel refused, in 

1405, to swear allegiance to such a Count 
and the Count with all his “Hooks” opened 
war on the Cod leader in Holland. 

Wolfert VI kept wisely Seeland out of the 
troubles in Holland. He acknowledged Wil¬ 
lem VI, as Count, knowing that the Count 
could not trouble Seeland much as long as 
he was engaged in Holland. The Count re¬ 
lying upon a certain commercial jealousy 
which existed between Holland and Seeland 
thought he could win Wolfert VI and whole 
Seeland for the “Hook” party. He bestowed 
honors upon Wolfert immediately after his 
succession as Vlth Lord Van der Veer in 

1406. By charter of 6 November, 1406, he 

[ 34 ] 



In the Netherlands 


confirmed him in his whole paternal inheri¬ 
tage. (See: Van Mieris. Charterboek IV, 
p. 39.) But the young scion of such an old 
and confirmed “Cod” family could not be 
caught by any sweet bate of the “Hooks.” 

As soon as Wolfert VI saw that the com¬ 
mercial party in Holland was faring badly 
in the war against the Count fear for the 
safety of Seeland compelled him to step in 
and join the forces of Jan Van Arkel. He 
acted too late; for Willem’s troops, who 
could have been easily defeated by an army 
joined from the beginning, had thoroughly 
defeated the chief of the Holland Cods from 
1405 to 1410 and their Seeland helpers with 
the rest of the scrambling army were de¬ 
feated from 1410 to 1412. 

Wolfert VI died probably in this war in 
the beginning of the year 1411. (See: P. 
J. Blok. “Gesch” II, pp. 108-9.) 

Wolfert VI had married in 1403 with 
Hadewich Van Borsselen, daughter of 
Claes Van Borsselen, Lord Van Brigdamme, 
who was a great grandson of Wolfert, 1st 
Lord Van Borsselen Van Der Veer. 



The Van der Veer Family 


In 1411 he left one little son, Hendrick, 
only six years old. 

Generation: 

XI. Hendrick, Vllth Lord Van der Veer, 
born in 1404, succeeded his father in 1411. 
“Hendrick het Kind” or “Hendrick, the 
Child” as he was commonly called had for 
his natural guardians his mother Lady Ha- 
dewich and his maternal grandfather Lord 
Claes Van Brigdamme, who as Regent also 
had to act as “First Nobleman of Seeland.” 

Here was a chance for Willem VI to de¬ 
teriorate the power of a “First Noble of See- 
land.” As Wolfert VI during his lifetime 
expected, the Count took strong action in 
Seeland affairs as soon as he was victorious 
in Holland. Even before the peace in Hol¬ 
land was concluded in 1412 Count Willem 
VI who as sovereign had the supreme right 
of discharging and nominating guardians, 
discharged Lord Claes and Lady Hadewich 
from their guardianship of the young Lord 
Van der Veer. The Count, in nominating 
guardians, however, was bound by the rule 
that whenever a guardian was discharged the 

[ 36 ] 



In the Netherlands 


next in kin to the minor had to be appointed 
according to the laws of seniority. By mani¬ 
fest of 17 November, 1411, the lawful 
guardians were removed on accusation of 
ambitions of the house of Van Borsselen Van 
Brigdamme against the house of Van Bors¬ 
selen Van der Veer. (See Van Mieris: Char- 
terboek. IV, p. 193.) The child’s oldest aunt, 
Catharina Van der Veer, was made guardian 
instead. The title of “First Noble of See- 
land” was now in hands of a woman. And 
her husband, the foreign Lord Allard de 
Pouques, as expected, took no interest in 
Holland and Seeland affairs. Lady Catha¬ 
rina was a warm Seeland patriot sacrificed 
the honor in favor of the Seeland interest 
much against the expectation of Count Wil¬ 
lem VI. As soon as she had served her mini¬ 
mum legal term as guardian, she returned 
on 30 November, 1413, the guardianship 
into the hands of the sovereign count. Her 
excuse was as open as it could be. She 
stated that she rather saw the guardianship 
in hands of a man or of a woman, whose 
husband, as acting guardian, could better 
exercise the rights of a guardian of a Lord 
[ 37 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


Van der Veer. (See: Van Mieris; Charter- 
boek IV, p. 263.) Willem VI knew what 
would follow next; he hesitated. But he 
could not escape from acting lawfully. His 
position in Holland and Seeland, in view of 
the queston of succession was too weak than 
that he could afford to make even one new 
enemy. And here such an important one as 
that of the First Noble man of Seeland was 
in the scale. Aleida Van der Veer, young 
Hendrick’s other aunt, was the next entitled 
to the guardianship. Her husband, Arent 
Van Cruinengen, was a “Cod” and a power¬ 
ful Seeland nobleman at that. The Advent 
and the Christmas holidays gave the count 
a welcome delay. But on the 11th of Jan¬ 
uary, 1414, Arent Van Cruiningen, husband 
and the child’s late aunt, Aleida Van der Veer 
was directly appointed as guardian. (See 
Van Meris: Charterboek. IV, p. 264.) He 
served as such faithfully and as a good edu¬ 
cator until Hendrick’s majority in 1425. 
(See also for the relationship: Van Mieris. 
IV, p. 298.) 

Willem VI foreseeing the troubles which 
his daughter Jacoba might find in her suc- 
[ 38 ] 



In the Netherlands 


cession had taken all possible steps to pre¬ 
vent this. In the summer of 1416 he called 
the noblemen and city representatives of all 
Holland and Seeland up to a meeting at The 
Hague. There the “Hook” nobility took 
the oath to Jacoba unconditionally and the 
commercial nobility together with the cities 
promised that they would acknowledge Ja¬ 
coba, if she would take the economical wel¬ 
fare of the country at heart. The Van 
Borsselens Van Brigdamme were present at 
the meeting, also the “First Noble of See¬ 
land.” There was among others Willem 
1st Lord Van Scaghen, illegitimate brother 
to Count Willem VI of Holland; he swoar 
unconditionally allegiance to his niece Ja¬ 
coba. (See P. K. Blok. “Gesch.” II, pp. 
113-16.) 

Other securities for the succession were 
laid by matrimonial connection. When in 
the end of 1417 Count Willem VI died the 
succeeding Countess Jacoba fell immediately 
under “Hook” influence and when the 
“Cods” chose at once and unanimously her 
uncle Jan of Bavaria as their head, the old 

[ 39 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


hostilities broke out again, more severe and 
more complicated than ever before. 

Frank Van Borsselen Van Cortgene, 
grandson of Frank, founder of the Van 
Cortgene family, 3d son of Wolfert 1st Lord 
Van der Veer was from the beginning Jan 
of Bavaria’s right hand in Seeland. He was 
placed in charge of the naval affairs there in 
1421. ( See Blok. Gesch II, p. 128.) 

Jan, of Bavaria, was a priest and bishop 
of Liege. As such he was not married and 
had no legitimate heir. He nominated as 
such his sister Margaretha’s son, Philip of 
Bourgond. From that time on Bourgond 
forces helped him in Holland and Philip 
acted as chief of the “Cods” of Holland and 
Seeland as often as Jan was sick or absent. 
When on January sixth, 1425, Jan, of Ba¬ 
varia, died, Philip succeeded him in his lead¬ 
ership and in his expectations in Holland 
and Seeland. 

In the same year Hendrick, Vllth Lord 
Van der Veer, had reached the age of major¬ 
ity. He was now also acting “First Noble¬ 
man of Seeland.” Philip, of Bourgond, was 
as sure of the interests of Seeland in his pro- 

[ 40 ] 



In the Netherlands 


fessed “Cod” principles, as of his own am¬ 
bition. By proclamation of 21st March, 
1426, he appointed the young Lord Hen¬ 
drick VII Van der Veer together with his 
older and more experienced relative Frank 
Van Borsselen Van Cortgene to Captain- 
General or what was later called admiral 
and placed them in chief command of the 
Seeland navy. They had earned their laurels 
already for near Browershaven in Seeland 
the joint fleets of Holland and Seeland un¬ 
der Frank’s command had beaten already the 
English fleet, which then under Humphrey, 
of Glocester, third husband of Countess Ja- 
coba, had come to her rescue. (See: Blok: 
Gesch II, p. 132.) Jacoba, with few help¬ 
ers, had from 1425 to 1428, gallantly fought 
her lawful but unjust cause against the over¬ 
whelming progressive powers. By the com¬ 
promise of 3 July, 1428, Philip, of Bour- 
gond, as “heir expectant” was left in the ac¬ 
tual possession of Holland and Seeland and 
a sort of honorary advisership in matters of 
government was left to Jacoba, who also 
kept the title of Countess. The two countries, 
Holland and Seeland, were exhausted and 
[ 41 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


the once flourishing commerce and industry 
had suffered so much that the population 
was impoverished. Philip saw no other means 
to restore the public finances than by giving 
the revenues of Holland and Seeland in 
pawn to some weathy nobleman. The rev¬ 
enues of Holland and Seeland were pawned 
in November, 1430, for the time of eight 
years by “Philip, of Bourgond,” with con¬ 
sent of Countess Jacoba, to Hendrick, Vllth 
Lord Van der Veer, Frank Van Borsselen 
Van Cortgene and Floris Van Borsselen van 
Sanddyck. They received the titles of Gov¬ 
ernors of Holland and Seeland. Doing this 
they did a great service to Philip, of Bour¬ 
gond, for the countries were so poor that 
the pawn was bought much too high. Be¬ 
sides, the Seeland nobles had difficulties in 
collecting the taxes and revenues in Holland, 
where the Seelanders, although much richer, 
were considered as a race subdued to Hol¬ 
land. There were riots whenever collections 
were made in Holland cities and in 1432 the 
Governors saw themselves in the necessity 
to make another arrangement. From that 
time on they kept themselves accountable for 

[ 42 ] 



In the Netherlands 


the collections to Philip and this dependency 
pleased the Hollanders. The Van Borssel- 
ens, however, had not for nothing given them¬ 
selves these troubles. The extremely favor¬ 
able circumstances had made them ambitious. 
Frank Van Cortgene, in August, 1432, had 
secretly married Countess Jacoba. This 
union of new actual power with old actual 
authority might become dangerous for 
Philip’s position in the counties. Before, 
therefore, anything could be done, he im¬ 
prisoned, in October, 1432, Frank, and sent 
him in exile. Then after he had deprived 
Jacoba of her remainder of authority he re¬ 
called her husband. They were allowed to 
live peacefully at the Castle of Teylingen, 
where Wolfert, 1st Van der Veer, had spent 
many a restful day also. Jacoba’s very 
stormy life ended there on 9th October, 1436. 
Frank van Borsselen Van Cortgene lived 
many years yet as a faithful subject of Philip, 
of Bourgond. 

Hendrick, Vllth Lord Van der Veer, 
strengthened his position in Holland much 
by the purchase of lands which, through 
change of sovereigns, had to be evacuated 
[ 43 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


by foreign residents. In 1434 by charter of 
10th October, Philip confirmed him in the 
jurisdiction of all the lands he had bought 
in Holland. (See Van Mieris. Charterboek 
IV, pp. 1053 and 1058.) 

In all these public dealings and affairs 
Hendrick had not neglected his City of 
Veere. In 1430 he had made ships there 
for navigation further than England. He 
had made wool trade connections also with 
Scotland, for the Flemish cities needed more 
wool than ever, they had become the cloth¬ 
iers of whole Western Europe. 

With Edward IVth, of England, and 
James 1st, of Scotland, Hendrick, Vllth Lord 
Van der Veer, made a free trade union. Ex¬ 
port and import in each other’s lands and 
ports should be completely free. Only if 
other merchants than those of Veere imported 
wool or sheepskins there from England 
and Scotland they had to pay 3 “groot” im¬ 
port duty per pound. This last clause secured 
the Lords Van der Veer the wool trade to 
remain in their own hands. 

At this time the Scotch wool staple, or 
principal continental storehouse for superflu- 

[ 44 ] 



In the Netherlands 


ously imported Scotch wool, at the request 
of Hendrick, was transferred from Brugges 
to Veere by the King of Scotland. 

The splendor of the house Van der Veer 
reached its summit when the Scotch King, 
in 1444, gave his daughter Maria Stuart in 
matrimony to Wolfert, son of Lord Hen¬ 
drick Van der Veer. 

In 1435 Hendrick had opened commer¬ 
cial connections with the Baltic lands and 
the Scandinavian countries. The first ships 
from Norway were seen in the harbor of 
Veere that year. When Hendrick, Vllth 
Lord Van der Veer, admiral of Holland and 
Seeland, First noble of Seeland died in 1472, 
he left his office in splendid condition, his 
city in prosperity and his family in wealth 
and in the first ranks with the kings of Eu¬ 
rope. (See David van Hoogstraten and all 
the Seeland Chronicles.) Hendrick, Vllth 
Lord Van der Veer, had married Lady Janne 
Van Halewyn, Lady of Hemsrode, who gave 
him one son, Wolfert, who would succeed 
his father as IXth Lord Van der Veer. Hen¬ 
drick also left two other sons, Paulus 
and Wolfert Van der Veer, whose grandson 
[ 45 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


Cornelis Van der Veer has become the an¬ 
cestor of Cornelis Jansen Van der Veer, the 
New Netherland immigrant. (See under 
XII.) 

Generation: 

Xlla. Wolphert, VUIth Lord Van der 
Veer, born in 1428, succeeded his father in 
1474. As a young lad he had already mar¬ 
ried Maria Stuart, daughter of the King of 
Scotland, in 1444. One child, Charles 
(Karel), was born from this marriage, but 
child and mother died soon thereafter. At 
a riper age, about 1465, he remarried with 
a French lady, Charlotte de Montpensier. 
Three daughters were left by her: Marga- 
retha, who died as a child; Anna Van der 
Veer, who became her father’s successor, and 
Margaretha van der Veer, who married 
Walrave Van Brederode. 

When Wolfert, VUIth Lord died in 1487 
as the last Lord Van der Veer of the old 
house, he saw the trade of the city extended 
over the whole then known world. Products 
of the North pole lands were imported in 
Veere from the Baltic, and tropical products 

[ 46 ] 

















Thf. Town 


Hall of Veere, 


Erected 1470-1474 












































































In the Netherlands 


from Spain and the Canerian Island, where 
ships of Veere were seen few years before 
Columbus passed them on his way to a new 
world. 

Generation: 

XHIa. Anna Van Borsselen Van der 
Veer was the last ruler of Veere of the old 
house, married Philip, of Bourgond, an il¬ 
legitimate son of Count Philips, to whom 
she had married in 1466 a year before his 
father’s death. On their heirs and descend¬ 
ants the titles of Lord Van der Veer, admiral 
of Holland and Seeland and First Noble¬ 
man of Seeland would be conferred and after 
them to all who might legally possess the city 
and land of Veere. 

The passing away of the old house as 
rulers of Veere was marked by large calami¬ 
ties for the city. In 1510 there was a heavy 
fire in the Northern section of the town; be¬ 
sides many storehouses and salt factories, 
twenty residences of wealthy merchants with 
their art collections were burned. The pest 
or black death visited Veere in 1518 and 
took many of the best people away. 

[ 47 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


The further history of Veere has to be 
narrated shortly. Adolf, of Bourgond, be¬ 
came Lord of Veere after his mother Anna’s 
death. 

Under his grandson Maximilian, of Bour¬ 
gond, Emperor Charles V, of the German 
Empire, made Veere with the surrounding 
land a marquisy in 1555. The silver cup 
given to the city by this Lord in February, 
1551, was long thereafter used by every elec¬ 
tion of city magistrates. Having no children, 
his sister Anna’s son, Maximilian, of Henin, 
got the marquisy after his uncle’s death. The 
young man, who lived abroad and was a 
spendthrift, sold Veere in 1567 so as to pay 
some of his enormous debt. The feudal 
power had shrunk already in those days and 
in fact he sold not more than a few rights 
upon offices and certain taxes and other in¬ 
comes. Philip II, King of Spain, and well- 
known tyrant Count of Holland and Lord of 
the other Netherlands bought the city from 
him. 

When after forswearing of the tyrant in 
1581 the States-General of the United Neth¬ 
erlands sold the confiscated goods they gave 

[ 48 ] 



In the Netherlands 


the right of pre-emption to Willem the Silent, 
prince of Orange. 

He bought Veere for 146,000 florins. 

After the death of his great grandson 
Willem III Stadholder of the Netherlands, 
King of England in 1702 by the division of 
his goods, rights and titles, the price elect 
of Prussia Frederick III and after him Fred¬ 
erick Wilhelm as I and Frederick the Great 
became Marquis of Veere. 

By the restoration of the house of Orange 
in the Netherland the Frisian prince Willem 
IV, of Orange, reclaimed his ancestor’s 
rights on Veere and an agreement was made 
with Frederick the Great in 1745 by which 
the marquisy was rendered to him. His son 
Willem V lost again all his personal land 
property in the Netherlands in 1795 and by 
the restoration in 1815 the old titles were 
merely revived as “private titles of the sov¬ 
ereign” later of “the constitutional King.” 
Queen Wilhelmina is at present “Lady Van 
der Veer.” 

In the times of hereditary succession in 
rulership and government it was very often 
the policy of the rulers to marry a daughter 

r 5 j [49] 



The Van der Veer Family 


of another ruler and to procreate if pos¬ 
sible only one son, so as to avoid hereditary 
complications. For the rest they did as they 
pleased. It was no disgrace to have illegiti¬ 
mate children; they were loved and treated 
with as much paternal care as the other ones 
and the question what to do with them did 
not trouble the father. Seldom they were 
neglected and in most cases they became 
prominent citizens. The daughters were usu¬ 
ally married to men of some lower social 
standing, who were very much glorified by 
the relation to the lord; the sons were usual¬ 
ly placed in some public office or magistra- 
ture. 

Paulus Van der Veer was made supreme 
judge of Veere and its jurisdiction by his 
father Hendrick, Vllth Lord Van der Veer. 
He was an eminent and able man, who mar¬ 
ried a lady of nobility and left a posterity to 
be proud of. 

Generation : 

XII. Wolfert, third son of Hendrick, 
Vllth Lord Van der Veer, born in 1435, 
when his father was in his most glorious and 
[ 50 ] 



In the Netherlands 


enterprising period, received from his father 
large estates in Seeland when he became of 
age. 

He married a few years later, probably 
in 1460 with Jacoba Van der Capelle, daugh¬ 
ter of Joost, Lord Van der Capelle. Through 
his governing capacities he was appointed 
also a burgomaster of the City of Axel in 
Seeland. 

One son, Wolfert Van der Veer was born 
to him in 1462. 

Generation: 

XIII. Wolfert Van der Veer, born in 
1462, became lord of Spreeuwen-steyn. He 
married Margaretha van Cruyningen, daugh¬ 
ter of a member of the noble Seeland family. 
This marriage was blessed with one daughter. 
Wolfert married after his first wife’s death 
with Martina van Borsselen Van der 
Hooghe, a direct descendant of Wolfert Van 
Borsselen, 1st Lord Van der Veer. His 
brother-in-law, Adriaen Van Borsselen Van 
der Hooghe, a wealthy man, knowing Wol- 
fert’s descent gave him on the 14th day of 
February, 1519, the lordly manor of 
[ 51 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


Spreeuwensteyn. Wolfert was now admitted 
to the nobility of Seeland. On ground of 
this Wolfert became electable to the senate 
of Seeland and as a senator he died. 

From the second marriage two sons were 
left: Adolph and Wolfert Van der Veer. 

Besides he left one other son: Cornelis 
Van der Veer. (See under XIV.) 

Martina’s father, Joost Van Borsselen 
Van der Hooghe, as a widower, had married 
Josina, lady of Scaghen a large lordly es¬ 
tate and castle near Alkmaar in North Hol¬ 
land or West-Friesland. 

In 1492 he lived with his wife at the 
castle of Scaghen for in that year according 
to the Charterboek of Holland, he petitioned 
the bishop of Utrecht that the churches in 
his jurisdiction should be freed from taxes. 
This was a political marriage for Wolfert 
VIII, Lord Van der Veer with other noble¬ 
men had conquered the castle of Scaghen in 
1477 when Josina Van Scaghen’s father quar¬ 
reled about the possession with his half- 
brother. Wolfert Van der Veer had decided 
the succession in favor of Lady Josina, the 

[ 52 ] 





















































In the Netherlands 


only daughter of Albrecht Van Scaghen. She 
was a childless young widow and Wolfert 
meant to secure by the marriage of her and 
his relative Joost, the inheritage for the house 
Van Borsselen. But Joost Van Borsselen 
Van der Hooghe died in 1505 and when 
Josina Van Scaghen died in 1524, the lord- 
ship of Scaghen went to her nephew Jan Van 
Scaghen. 

Note: Members of the Van Scaghen 
family and of the Van der Hooghe branch 
of the Van Borsselen family were about 1630 
directors of the West India Company. 
(See: Joh. de Laet: “Dag Verhael” and 
O’Callaghan: “Hist, of New Netherland” I. 
appendix.) 

The Van Borsselens in the meantime had 
got a foothold round Alkmaar and the rich 
property of Scaghen. (See: Chronicles of 
the Utrecht Society of History II, 1846, p. 
99.) 

Anna van Borsselen married there with 
Christoff el Van Scaghen. She was a grand¬ 
daughter of Joost Van Borsselen and the 
bridegroom was a son of Jan who, in 1524, 
[ 53 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


had become Lord of Scaghen. Her aunt, 
Martine Van Borsselen, wife of Wolfert Van 
der Veer, Lord of Spreeuwensteyn, saw here 
a good opportunity for her husband’s son 
Cornelis. 

XIV. Cornelis Van der Veer went to Alk- 
maar and married there in 1527 Maria Van 
Scaghen daughter of Jan Van Scaghen. (See 
Joh. Kok. Tab. I col. 6 and Tab. II col. 5; 
also Tab. I col. 7.) 

Of this marriage at least two sons are 
known, Jan Van der Veer, born in 1528, and 
Christoffel Van der Veer, born about 1530. 

XV. Of Jan Van der Veer nothing further 
is known, but his son: 

XVI. Christoffel Janszen Van der Veer 
married on 21st February, 1590, with Catha- 
rina Jans Van Deventer. (See Marriage reg¬ 
ister of Schoonhoven.) 

Christoffel Janszen Van der Veer and 
Catharina Jans Van Deventer had the follow¬ 
ing children: 

Cornelis Van der Veer, 

Jan Van der Veer, 

[ 54 ] 



In the Netherlands 


Anna Van der Veer, 

Hendrick Van der Veer, 

Pieter Van der Veer, and 
Maria Van der Veer. 

Generation: 

XVIIa. Cornelis Van der Veer, born 
1592, went to Amsterdam and became a 
book-printer and publisher there. He mar¬ 
ried with Cornelia Cornelis, born in 1600. 
She died in 1662. Their children were 
among others: (some records say seventeen) 
Pieter Van der Veer, born at Amsterdam in 
1635. Cornelia Van der Veer, born there 
on August 30, 1639. 

XVIIIa. This Pieter Comeliszen Van der 
Veer is considered to have become the first 
American ancestor of the Van der Veer 
family of Beverwyk or Albany, New York. 
The property still owned by them on Pearl 
Street in that city was bought by him in Octo¬ 
ber, 1663. 

His sister, Cornelia Van der Veer, was a 
student of literature and a poetess. Her 
poems show the remarkable interest she took 
in Dutch foreign political affairs. New 
[ 55 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


Netherlands affairs especially interested her. 
In 1666, two years after the capture of New 
Netherland, she wrote a satirical poem en¬ 
titled: “The Reformed Battle-Sword or the 
Clergy’s Complaint about the sad Condition 
of Our National Navy.” 

In 1673 when New Netherland was re¬ 
captured by the Dutch admirals Evertszen 
and Binckes, she wrote: 

“A Cry of Triumph over the Victory 
of our Navy.” 

And the next year at the time of the peace 
of Westminster there appeared from her 
hand: “An Olive branch on the Peace con¬ 
cluded with the King of Great-Britain.” 

Certainly from the spirit of her poems can 
be seen that the traditions of their ancestors, 
the hereditary admirals of Holland and See- 
land, were still very vivid in the family. Her 
motto was: “Ick Tracht Veerder!” or “I 
Try Further!” a worthy motto to be added 
to the Van der Veer arms and which is es¬ 
pecially distinctive for the Albany branch of 
the family. 


r 56 ] 




Castle Scaghen —From an old print. 
































































In the Netherlands 


XVII. Jan Van der Veer and Anna Van 
der Veer, her uncle and aunt had “tried 
further” also in the meantime. Before the 
birth of their niece they were already at Recif 
in Brazil, where since 1632 the Dutch colony 
had begun to florish. Their sister, Maria 
Van der Veer, seems to have followed them 
there very soon, but she stayed for some time 
at Pernambuco. The baptismal records of 
the Dutch Reformed Church unfortunately 
only exist in a fragmentary manuscript. From 
these fragments the following data could be 
gathered in regard to the Van der Veer fam- 
ily; 

Jan Christoffelsen Van der Veer and his 
wife, Marie Nickelsen had a child Marga- 
retha, baptised there on the 5th of February, 
1644. The aunt, Maria Van der Veer, was 
baptismal witness. 

Jan van der Veer himself had already ap¬ 
peared in the records as a baptismal witness 
there on April 16 , i642, and his sister, Anna, 
on August 11, 1641. 

Where his son, Cornelis, was born or bap¬ 
tized remains still unsolved, but there seems 
to have been another son, Hendrick, so that 
[ 57 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


we know at least of Jan Christoffelszen Van 
der Veer, and Maria Nickelsen, the follow¬ 
ing children: 

Cornelis Van der Veer, 

Hendrick Van der Veer, and 
Margaretha Van der Veer. 

The family returned from Brazil to Hol¬ 
land in 1654 after the colony had been evac¬ 
uated for the Portugese. 

At Alkmaar, in West Friesland or North- 
Holland, the last possessor of the Castle and 
lands of Scaghen had died and in 1658 the 
property was sold for the behoof of the law¬ 
ful heirs. 

Jan Christoffelsen Van der Veer, as grand¬ 
son of Maria Van Scaghen, received together 
with the other numerous heirs, his portion 
of the proceedings of the sale. His son, 
Hendrick Van der Veer, opened in the same 
year a book-printery in The Hague. 

XVIII. Cornelis Janszens Van der Veer 
went to New Netherland the next following 
year and became there the first American an¬ 
cestor of the Long Island branch of the 
Van der Veer family. 

[ 58 ] 






Scaghen To-day. 




















In the Netherlands 


The descendants of Cornells Christoffelsen 
Van der Veer and those of his nephew, Hen¬ 
drick Janszen Van der Veer, seem to have 
been quite successful as book-printers at 
Amsterdam and The Hague. 

Cornelis Van der Veer, a descendant of the 
first, had a flourishing business on the Beurs 
Street at Amsterdam in 1765, which was 
continued by his widow and sons in 1772. 

Pieter Hendricks Van der Veer, nephew of 
Cornelis Janszen Van der Veer, was book- 
printer at Rotterdam from 1689 to 1713. 

His son, Willem Van der Veer, continued 
the business there from 1713 to 1730 and 
descendants of these: 

Cornelis, Gerrit and Pieter Van der Veer 
were book-printers there in 1782. 

A son of Gerrit Van der Veer continued 
his father’s business at Rotterdam in 1784. 

The Van der Veer family is still numerous 
and prosperous in Holland and Seeland at 
present. 


[ 59 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


APPENDIX I 

Armoiries de la famille Van der Veer: 

Van der Veer : (Selande, Hollande (Alck- 
maer) 

Amerique, (Albany, N. Y., Long Island, 
N. Y.) 

d’argent a un trefle tige de genelles ac- 
compagne de frois arbres arraches de simple. 

Casque couronne d’or 

Crete: un tete-de-loup d’or 

Lambraquins d’argent et de geuelles. 

Pour se distinguer de la branche de Long 
Island, celle d’Albany est intitule d’avoir 
pour sa device: “Ick Tracht Veerder!” 




From a painting by Mr. De Boer 

Arms of the Van der Veer and Van Scaghen Families. 







In the Netherlands 


APPENDIX II 

Direct male Line of Pieter Corneliszen 
Van der Veer and of Cornelis Janszen Van 
der Veer, American progenitors. 

I. Floris VIII Van Borsselen. 

II. Wolfert IX Van Borsselen and 
(N) Van der Goude. 

III. Frank X Van Borsselen, whose 

2 nd son was: 

IV. Frank Van Borsselen and Maria 

Van Egmond. 

V. Wolfert Van Borsselen, I Van der 
Veer and Sibilla (Van Clevers- 
kercke). 

VI. Wolfert II Van der Veer and 
Aleida of Henault. 

VII. Wolfert III Van der Veer and 
Hadewich Both Van der Eem. 

VIII. Wolfert IV Van der Veer and 
Margaretha Van Arnemuyden. 

IX. Henderick V Van der Veer and 
Catharina Van Ellewoutsdyck. 

[ 61 ] 



The Van der Veer Family 


X. 

Wolfert VI Van der Veer and 
Hadewich van Borsselen. 

XI. 

Hendrick VII Van der Veer, 
whose son was: 

XII. 

Wolfert Van der Veer and Ja- 
coba Van der Capelle. 

XIII. 

Wolfert Van der Veere and Mar- 
garetha van Cruyuingen, whose 
son was: 

XIV. 

Cornelis Van der Veer and Maria 
Van Scaghen. 

XV. 

XVI. 

Jan Van der Veer. 

Christoffel Van der Veer and 
Catharina Van Deventer. 

XVII. 

Jan Van der Veer and Maria 
Nickelsen. 

XVIII. 

Cornelis Van der Veer and Cor¬ 
nelia Cornelis. 

XVIIa. 

Cornelis Van der Veer, of Flat- 
bush, L. I. 

XVIIIa. 

Pieter Van der Veer, of Albany, 
N. Y. 

[ 62 ] 


X 




DEC 18 1913 




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:,V 
































